Heidelberg Places of Interest, Western Cape

Attractions IN Heidelberg

Lying in the heart of the Langeberg Mountains, roughly 22 kilometres north-west of Heidelberg in the Cape Overberg, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve is exactly as its name denotes - a wonderful large section of forest - 250 hectares of the largest ...

Attractions AROUND Heidelberg

Sheltered by the Langeberg Mountains and bordered to the south by the Breede River, the Bontebok National Park provides a refuge for not only bontebok, but also for other species such as the Cape mountain zebra, red hartebeest and grey rhebok. The park ...

Boosmansbos Wilderness Area lies in the beautiful Langeberg Mountains, over 14 000 hectares that is, in turn, part of the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve. It is regarded as a hiker's domain, a great space in which to scale peaks to reach views that are ...

Almost 30 kilometres outside of Outshoorn in the Klein Karoo, and certainly one of the main reasons for placing this little town on your itinerary, other than the prospect of riding an ostrich, lie the Cango Caves, some of the biggest stalagmite ...

While much of the Cape Overberg is inland, there are a number of spectacular beaches to be found here. Hermanus is a coastal town known for its excellent whale-watching opportunities. It is also home to some of the magnificent beaches that have earned it ...

The coming of the whales to the Cape Overberg coastline, also known as the Cape Whale Coast, every year between June and November, not only creates a stir, but brings to our shores a large, intelligent and remarkable giant of the sea and the only mammal ...

The De Hoop Nature Reserve is approximately 34 000 ha in size and one of the largest natural areas managed by Cape Nature Conservation. It is a favourite destination for hikers, cyclists, bird watchers and during the winter and early summer months, whale ...

Garcia's Pass links the towns of Riversdale and Ladismith in the Karoo. Back in the old days the only route through the Langeberg Mountains was via the Plattekloof Pass, something of a detour for farmers who wanted to reach Riversdale and subsequently ...

Its long sounding name is indicative of the fact that Wildehondskloofhoogte Pass connects with Op de Tradouw Pass, forming one long, continuous pass through the Langeberg. The Langeberg (Dutch for long mountain) is called such because it ...

... and a little further afield

Lying in what is known as the Agulhas Plain at the southernmost tip of Africa is the Agulhas National Park, just 45 kilometres from the popular village of Gansbaai. This might be the meeting place of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, but the Agulhas ...

Set in the Majestic Kogelberg mountain range and bordered by the Bot Rivier Lagoon is the Arabella Golf Course with its tricky bunkers, immaculate Kikuyu fairways and inventive water hazards it is of little wonder that the course has consistently been ...

The artist's village of Baardskeerdersbos, more commonly known to locals simply as Bbos, lies on a dirt road somewhere between Stanford and Wolvengat. Most commonly it is accessed via the road that takes you past Grootbos Nature Reserve and Platbos ...

Betty's Bay MPA lies adjacent to the popular seaside town of Betty's Bay and the Kogelberg Nature Reserve, both managed by CapeNature. It protects a diverse number of habitats – from rocky shores and exposed sandy beaches, to subtidal ...

The Caledon farmers grouped together to protect the Blue Crane bird and increase tourism in the area, establishing the Caledon Blue Crane Route, which allows visitors to see the blue crane in its natural environment, and encouraging the blue crane onto ...

Cape Agulhas is a rocky headland with some gorgeous beaches, making it a stunning weekend getaway for travellers along the Garden Route or those exploring the Cape Overberg. The Cape Agulhas region is home to the coastal towns of Arniston, L’Agulhas, ...

De Hoop Marine Protected Area (MPA) lies adjacent to the De Hoop Nature Reserve on the Cape Overberg coastline, protecting 253 km² between Stillbaai Point and Ryspunt, and extending three nautical miles offshore. Marine protected areas ...

As its name suggests De Mond Nature Reserve lies at a river mouth – the Heuningnes River - in the curve of a natural bay, almost halfway between the coastal towns of Arniston and Struis Bay. The De Mond estuary has remained relatively undisturbed and ...

The Drostdy Museum is actually a collection of several historical buildings that include one of the oldest surviving examples of a Drostdy building in South Africa, hence the name of the museum. It is not only a beautiful museum that includes large ...

Most people have heard of Dyer Island. Shark Alley, the strip of sea between Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, off the coast of Gansbaai and Pearly Beach in the Overberg, is famous for shark cage diving, and one of the biggest tourist attractions of the ...